1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a toy construction system that comprises two types of building elements. Building elements of the first type have a pair of opposed walls that define a space, wherein the space has, at free edges of the opposed walls, an open end and an open side, and wherein the walls have, on the sides facing the space, protruding ribs. Building elements of the second type have a coupling head that may, by a snap-fit effect with protruding ribs, be received and releasably secured in the space between the walls on a building element of the first type.
In such toy construction system, toy building elements of the one type can be structural elements, whereas building elements of the other of said types can be connectors for connecting two or more structural elements. The connectors may have relatively small dimensions whereas the structural elements have relatively large dimensions. The structural elements may be straight or arched bars of different lengths, or they may define or expand large or small surfaces that are used for imparting its structure to the construction built. Such toy construction system allows for easy and expedient building of large constructions.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,219 teaches a toy construction system of the type described herein, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,097 discloses a similar toy construction system. Both of these systems feature elongate, bar-shaped structural elements, and the latter patent also features arched structural elements, and in addition to the structural elements, both publications also describe connectors used for connecting two or more structural elements. In these known systems the connectors serve as nodal elements.
These known toy construction systems allow for easy and expedient building of large and quite crude constructions that are comparatively voluminous but do not feature particularly many details.
With the invention a toy construction system of the type described herein is accomplished wherein it is possible to supplement with other types of building elements that enable new building options, and a large construction with great attention to detail can be obtained.